Army Pilots Get Surprise Three-Year Hitch Extensions

Army pilots are fighting mad after being told they will have to serve three years longer than they thought they'd signed up to stay in. According to CNN the Army says about 600 officers, many of them pilots and many of them West Point grads, are affected by an "error" in the administration of a program that allows new officers more control of where they are deployed. "Our overall goal to correct this issue is to provide predictability and stability for our soldiers while maintaining readiness across our force,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Stitt, the head of Army personnel. But it appears the affected officers will still have to serve their extended hitches and it's causing a lot of issues. It's also likely that a lot of the affected pilots were headed to civilian aviation jobs.

In a letter to Congress, dozens of Army pilots claimed they were "misled" about their obligation when they became active-duty members. “While I have cherished my time as a member of this incredible Army, I am looking forward to a civilian career that may now be upended due to the gross mismanagement of my Active Duty Service Obligation," one pilot said in the letter to Congress. The issue has also affected the officers' spouses, some of whom had taken jobs based on their anticipated ability to decide where they were going to be living.